WB man pushed into Bangladesh despite proof of Indian citizenship, alleges family, state officials
Kolkata: A 36-year-old man from West Bengal, Mehbub Sheikh, who had been working as a mason in Maharashtra, was allegedly pushed into Bangladesh by the Border Security Force (BSF) in the early hours of Saturday, despite his family and the West Bengal government submitting documents to prove his Indian citizenship.
According to officials of the West Bengal Migrant Welfare Board, Sheikh was detained by the Maharashtra Police in Thane on June 11, after being suspected of being an illegal Bangladeshi migrant. He was picked up while having tea in the Mira Road area and taken to the Kanakia police station.
Upon receiving a distress call from Sheikh, his family immediately contacted the local administration and the migrant welfare board. “We sent all necessary documents including his Aadhaar, voter ID, ration card, and even a family tree certified by the gram panchayat,” said Mujibur Sheikh, Mehbub’s younger brother. “Despite this, he was sent to a BSF camp in Siliguri and later pushed across the border.”
Samirul Islam, chairman of the West Bengal Migrant Welfare Board, said, “The Maharashtra Police did not cooperate, and the BSF deported him without informing the West Bengal authorities.”
Shabbir Ahmed, pradhan of Mahisasthali gram panchayat in Murshidabad district, confirmed the documents were authentic and verified at the local level. “We tried to intervene when we learned he was taken to a BSF camp in Siliguri, but were not given access,” he said.
The family said Mehbub called them on Saturday morning, weeping and stating that the BSF had pushed him into Bangladesh at around 3:30 am. He reportedly found temporary shelter in a Bangladeshi village. He has a wife and three children in India.
Maharashtra Police, however, defended their actions. Meghna Burade, Senior Inspector of Mira Road police station, said, “On orders to act against illegal migrants, we detained several people, including Mehbub. He failed to produce valid proof like a birth certificate. We don’t accept Aadhaar or PAN cards as sole proof of citizenship, as these can be obtained fraudulently.”
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4 workers die after being buried under coal slurry in Jharkhand's Dhanbad
Dhanbad (Jharkhand) (PTI): At least four workers died after being buried under coal slurry in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district on Saturday, a police official said.
The incident took place at Moonidih coal washery in the command area of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL).
"Bodies of all four workers were dug out of debris during a rescue operation," Putki police station in-charge Waqar Hussain told PTI.
The incident took place when coal slurry was being loaded into trucks by workers, during which a large chunk of slurry fell and trapped several workers underneath, officials said.
The deceased have been identified as Manik Bauri, Dinesh Bauri, Deepak Bauri, and Hemlal Gope.
Meanwhile, the family members of the deceased and local villagers placed the bodies in front of the washery gate and began a protest.
They demanded compensation, jobs for dependents and action against those responsible for the incident.
Police and administration officials are trying to pacify the protesters, an official said.
